Abstract

In zero-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures with motion confined in all directions, electronic states are discrete. In contrast, the spectrum of single-particle states in a quantum well or quantum-well wire is a set of subbands of two- or one-dimensional states, respectively. Each subband is a continuum of states. Because the single-particle spectrum for a zero-dimensional quantum box is discrete rather than a continuum, understanding confinement effects in these systems presents unique challenges not addressed for wells and wires.

M. A. Reed, J. N. Randall, R. J. Aggarwal, R. J. Matyi, T. M. Moore, and A. E. Wetsel, Observation of discrete electronic states in a zero-dimensional semiconductor nanostructure, Phys. Rev. Lett. 60:535 (1988). After this chapter was prepared, M. Reed reported a new analysis of the data which indicated that the observed tunneling occurs through the n=1 resonance rather than the n=2 resonance. The qualitative physics of qunatum box resonance tunneling discussed in this chapter is the same for both resonances.Google Scholar